Friday, October 29, 2010

Essential Liquor #28

#28) Melon Liqueur - Our last liqueur in the 30 Essentials series is melon liqueur.
Sweet, but not sickly sweet, melon liqueur is a surprisingly wonderful mixer that blends interestingly with unobvious bed-fellows like cream. Consider the crazy combination that is the Jedi Mind Trick - melon, cinnamon schnapps, Bailey's, and 151. I don't think that I have ordered a Jedi Mind Trick at a bar where the bartender didn't ask, "Ah, are you sure?" However, every bartender who then tried one always appreciated it afterwards. Melon liqueur is often one of three ingredients in any cocktail, so Joe can buy Dekuyper here or Midori for more class.
Since this is Halloween Weekend, how about a scary little drink that riffs from mixologist Victoria D'Amato-Moran's Green Ghoul (Cent' Anni Cocktails). I replaced the Chartreuse with a splash of Herbsaint (go easy) and substituted her ginger liqueur with a nicely spiced ginger beer. A sweet and spicy Halloween to all!